This disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a gas turbine engine having at least one mistuned stage.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. In general, during operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases flow through the turbine section, which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and other gas turbine engine loads.
The compressor and turbine sections of a gas turbine engine often include multiple stages. Each stage typically includes alternating rows of flow directing components that are circumferentially disposed about a centerline axis of the engine. For example, a stage may include alternating rows of rotating rotor blades and stationary stators. The rotor blades create or extract energy (in the form of pressure) from the core airflow that is communicated through the gas turbine engine. The stators direct the core airflow to the blades to either add or extract energy.
Typically, the flow directing components of each stage are designed to include identical design characteristics. For example, every flow directing component of the stage may include identical airfoil characteristics and endwall platform. Such a design may result in resonance and lead to vibrations within the stage.